Globigerinida
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| Globigerinida Fossil range: Jurassic - Recent |
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Globigerinacea |
The Globigerinida are a common group of foraminiferans that are found as marine plankton (other groups are primarily benthic). They produce hyaline calcareous tests, and are known as fossils from the Jurassic period onwards. The group has included more than 100 genera and over 400 species, of which about 30 species are extant. One of the most important genera is Globigerina; vast areas of the ocean floor are covered with Globigerina ooze (named by Murray and Renard in 1873), dominated by the shells of planktonic forams.
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The amoeboid forms are often covered with a protective shell of CaCO3. The cytoplasmic projections of pseudopodia are still used for motility or prey capture. These protozoa have porous, multi-chambered, calcium carbonate shells. They have cytoplasmic strands that extend through the shell's pores and function in swimming, feeding and shell formation. The foraminifera are exclusively marine. Most live in the sand or attach to algae and rocks; some are planktonic. The shells of the Foraminifera are an important component of sediments and sedimentary rocks. -"http://kentsimmons.uwinnipeg.ca/16cm05/1116/16protists.htm" December 15, 2005
